Broken Homes

Persuasion Essay on how teens with one parent grow up differently than teens with two biological parents

Children and teens who grow up in a broken home are nothing like kids who are raised by both of their biological parents; they are individuals who are at an advantage in life. Everywhere in the world, children and teenagers are raised in single parent homes. Although a difference might not be detected, there are several indeed. Not only do children and teenagers suffer the lack of emotional bonding, they are at higher risk to do drugs, drink alcohol, become addicted to something, generate psychological problems, and commit suicide. Millions of children and teenagers suffer from the lack of a parent, and pay the consequences for an action that wasn’t performed by them. Whether a broken household may be because of divorce or even death, children and teens suffer from it.

I myself come from a broken home, and it is certainly unfair. Lack of emotions, the instable mind-set, the uncontrollable rage, and depression are a few of the factors that consume me. I spend no time with my father, and I don’t like my brother – not necessarily because his is a bad kid, but because I do not want to, or have the ability to bond with him. Patience is a virtue that I lack, and although I appear with a smile on my face, it is nearly a mask. Kids who have both biological parents come nowhere near the troubles that I face daily.

With no emotional bonding desire whatsoever with anyone, I have a hard time keeping people close to me. I am terrified daily that if I open up to someone, they will just end up leaving in the end; leaving me broken and petrified of what will happen in the future. I may not seem like the person to injure themselves, but I have indeed caused self-harm. When everything in my life was bringing me down, that was the only thing I could do without anyone knowing. Hitting things only caused damage to my own physical being and objects, which I did not have money to repair. Although I have caused self-harm, I have not contemplated suicide as often as I should.

“People who come from broken homes are almost twice as likely to attempt suicide as those who do not come from broken homes” (source 2). Suicide has indeed been a thought of my unbalanced mind, but I have not performed it for a couple of reasons. I hope that someday my depression and rage will seize to exist, and I will find someone who will make me feel good about myself. Also, I do not know how people will react if I were to be gone the next day. The fading hope of mental stability is the only thing keeping me in this place.

“Children from one-parent families achieve less and get into trouble more than children from two parent families” (source 2). In my mind, there is no point in trying in anything at all. There are others who are better than me in writing, math, sports, and everything else. I do not get praised for having A’s and B’s, as I can supposedly do better than that. I do not get help on my homework, as my dad is usually too busy on his bike, helping my brother with his homework, or he is simply working. To top it off, he does not know how to solve any of my school work. As for getting in trouble, I sometimes do stuff just so I will get the attention I have lacked all my life -- whether it may be causing damage to objects, yelling at my brother, disrupting the classroom, or simply not doing my homework.

“Children of divorced parents are roughly two times more likely to drop out of high school than their peers who benefit from living with parents who did not divorce” (source 3). When I was around 14 or 15, my step sister dropped out of high school. She got into drugs, alcohol, sexual activities, and defied even her own mothers’ wishes. Whatever event occurred, she always had an excuse or a lie for. There was no truth in her words, and all she wanted was attention. She even faked her own pregnancy when we kicked her out of the house, just so people would feel sorry for her.

“Fathers who cared for their children intellectual development and their adolescent's social development were more like to advance in their careers, compared to men who weren't involved in such activities” (source 2). With no emotional bond or connections with my father present, I do not feel the need to achieve higher in life than I do now. Grades are just letters, and they mean nothing. In my mind, no time should be wasted on something that can be completed easily. Who cares if I can achieve more – obviously if it was important enough, someone would have done something by now. Now enough about me, children and teens that grow up in a stable home are substantially different than those who do not. Children and teens who are not victims of a broken home tend to perform better in school, sustain longer and healthier relationships, develop less psychological problems, and tend to not commit suicide. “Children living with both biological parents are 20 to 35 percent more physically healthy than children from broken homes” (source 3).

“Only 13 percent of juvenile delinquents come from families in which the biological mother and father are married to each other. By contract, 33 percent have parents who are either divorced or separated and 44 percent have parents who were never married.” (source 2). Children and teens that grow up with their biological parents are less likely to have a run in with the law, and tend to grow up to be “normal”. Children and teens with a stable household have fairly better emotional states, and do not require any further demeaning attention.

“The chances of any child developing serious psychiatric problems is very small. In two-parent homes, this study indicated about 1 in 200 boys and 1 in 100 girls would experience problems serious enough to be hospitalized” (source 1). Kids in a stable home have complete emotional ties that are needed while growing up. There is less chance for any mental problems to occur. Children and teens with two parents in their household tend to retain relationships for longer as well. Children and teens who come from a broken home are nothing like those who grow up in a stable home. Communication between the child and the mother or father is less, and there is no bonding. The absence of a parent can lead to life changing behaviors and situations, and other things that could have been prevented. Whether it be by death or divorce, children and teens suffer the most from broken homes. Even if teenagers and children in a stable home may feel like their life sucks, they are actually the lucky ones who have all they need in the next room.

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